The U.S. Air Force flew a remotely piloted aircraft equipped with an Angry Kitten ALQ-167 Electronic Warfare Countermeasure Pod for the first time on April 27, 2023. General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. integrated the pod onto the aircraft.
The Angry Kitten EW Pod is supplied to the U.S. Air Force by the Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI) and has flown on other Department of Defense systems, including F-16s. GA-ASI integrated the EW pod in less than nine months at no cost to the U.S. Air Force by using a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement.
The 556th Test and Evaluation Squadron completed the first round of MQ-9A Reaper ground and flight testing with the Angry Kitten ALQ-167 Electronic Countermeasures (ECM) Pod at Creech Air Force Base, Nevada Apr. 10-28, 2023. (U.S. Air Force photo by Mr. Robert Brooks – Edited by The Aviationist)
“It was great to see the Angry Kitten Pod on an Air Force platform for the first time,” said GA-ASI Vice President of DoD Strategic Development Patrick Shortsleeve. “Flying this EW capability on an MQ-9A demonstrates its possible use on future aircraft.”
The Air Force plans to continue flying with Angry Kitten Pods over the next 12 to 24 months to develop the best Tactics, Techniques, and Procedures (TTPs) to leverage EW capabilities in support of the Joint Force and partner nations.
Source: Press Release